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Drug addicts, prostitutes, juvenile delinquents, and epileptics. Which one stands out for you?

In last week’s series finale of Bottle of Red, our project director Rachel talks exhibition and ‘making up people’ with Ross Garner, and asks whether changes in medical knowledge equals a change in society.

Listen here now!

Our thanks to Bottle of Red for the interview. Do check out his website and Facebook page for more brilliant interviews and engaging discussion

It’s been great seeing the exhibition progress. From a crazy idea in a pub to artist sketches and then finished artworks and seeing the exhibition come to life. We’ve had an excellent turnout and it’s been great seeing everyone enjoying the exhibition. If you missed out don’t worry, the exhibition is on for the whole duration of the Science Festival (until 19th) at the amazing CCA venue in Glasgow. And best of all – free entry!

Putting up an exhibition is no easy feat. There was a lot of planning involved – and lots of coffee and croissants consumed at our 3rd Collaborative meeting last month. Then before our launch there was a flurry of activity, the artists and contributors were hammering, gluing, and balancing on ladders, to make sure everything was perfect and ready for the big night.

The Beyond Epilepsy Exhibition is on until the 19th June, free at the CCA, Glasgow. Do come along and have a look at the final product!

Leading up to our exhibition we’ve got some exciting news to share with you. First of all, we’re excited to reveal our new poster, all bright and shiny.

We’re delighted to hear that our exhibition is gathering interest, and it hasn’t even started yet!

Beyond Epilepsy received the prestigious Magnusson Award from the Glasgow Caledonian University, awarded to the GCU researcher and Beyond Epilepsy Project Lead Rachel Hewitt. An article about the project and the award ceremony has been featured on the GCU Newsroom.

The story of our exhibition has also travelled all the way to Redditch, and has been featured in the Redditch Standard.

Our Project Lead Rachel has also been interviewed on the Bottle of Red Podcast. So pour yourself a glass (or a whole bottle) and listen to learn more about the historic links between epilepsy, hysteria and gender, and whether society has really moved on from looking at people with epilepsy as ‘the other’.

Beyond Epilepsy is delighted to present the exhibition ‘Beyond Epilepsy : Art & History Exhibition at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, in conjunction with Glasgow Science Festival 2016.

Do you know what causes a seizure? What it feels like? How it affects people’s lives? Around 1 in 100 people in the UK has epilepsy.

Beyond Epilepsy is working with Glasgow Science Festival 2016 to ask whether a greater understanding of the brain has led to more understanding in society as a whole. This project aims to be a platform for artists, not only promoting disabilities, but also artists with disabilities.

Beyond Epilepsyis a collaborative community project and are recipients of the prestigious Magnus Magnusson Award at GCU. The project has grown to include six well-established and newly graduated artists so also have personal experience with epilepsy. We have developed a close working relationship with Epilepsy Scotland, the largest Scottish charity for people with epilepsy.

Beyond Epilepsy Exhibition

Part of Glasgow Science Festival 2016, Beyond Epilepsy Exhibition explores experiences and challenges faced by people with epilepsy through visual art.

The exhibition also provides historical background of the changing responses of society towards people with epilepsy from the Greeks to the present day.

Through its use of visual art and history, the exhibition aims to challenge current misconceptions and stigma and raise awareness and increase engagement with the community.

The exhibition will feature paintings, drawings and photographs from Scottish based artists, some of whom have personal experience of epilepsy.

Hello, here are some photos from our February meeting chaired by Rachel & Olivia. We also had representation from the lovely Epilepsy Scotland and of course our contributors as well. It’s been great seeing everybody!

We have some exciting updates in the pipeline so make sure to follow this blog and our new facebook page!

We’ve been incredibly busy here at Beyond Epilepsy keeping everything behind the scenes running, which is why it was such a pleasure to host an exhibition meeting with our artists, historians and collaborators. Our meeting was on November 12th at the GCU.

After a brief ice breaker session with tea and biscuits (thanks GCU!) Rachel Hewitt took us through the overview of the project aims. Rachel also gave an excellent presentation on the history of epilepsy, summing up all the important developments in just a few minutes! If you’re interested in the history of epilepsy and weren’t able to come to the meeting, don’t worry, we’ll be posting more of this information on the website.

For the ‘Beyond Epilepsy’ Exhibition we are hoping to use visual art and archive material, in addition to sound and light installations to engage and educate the public on epilepsy both in the past and in the present day. We are hoping to communicate the experience of people with epilepsy: for the visual side, this will be by using art to convey this experience. For the historian side, we are providing context in an engaging way to provide the narrative.

Tea & Biscuits to fuel the discussion

The Borderland of Epilepsy

Curious consciousness

The team

Olivia led the discussion, which started off as a word association based on the main titles of the areas, then broke into discussion about potential ideas that could develop out of this. We had an excellent and involved discussion. Here are some of our notes and mind maps:

Thanks to everyone involved for a great and hopefully inspiring meeting. We can’t wait to see the artworks! And even if you’re not directly involved with the project, follow us and share the information to help us and the artists involved make an impact!

If you’re interested in contributing to The Borderland of Epilepsy Exhibition we’re holding our first meeting this week!

It’s an open meeting where you’ll have a chance to learn more about this collaborative project as well as the history of epilepsy and the present care and understanding of epilepsy. Hopefully this will help you come up with ideas for your artwork. We’ll also answer any questions on the project or the methodology you may have.

The meeting will be a chance to meet each other and develop the direction of the project and your personal response to it. It will begin with a short presentation by the project leader Rachel Hewitt followed by group discussion and activities. There will be tea and biscuits as well!